


Who Needs a Birthday, Anyway?

by soldiermom1973



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Birthdays, Holidays, Male-Female Friendship, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-09 20:46:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5554751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldiermom1973/pseuds/soldiermom1973
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor's mood sours as Wintersend approaches.  Leave it to her friend Dorian to figure out what's wrong and try to fix it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who Needs a Birthday, Anyway?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AgapeErosPhilia (AttilaTheHun)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AttilaTheHun/gifts).



> This holiday gift-fic is for Sophia as part of the Secret Santa fic exchange on the Dragon Age Fanfiction Writers group on Facebook. I'm sorry this took so long to get finished. I really hope you like it!

Dorian was the one who noticed the change. And of course he would. He and the Inquisitor had quickly became good friends, dishing about who wore which outfit better and which member of the inner circle had the nicest derriere. The change in Lavellan's demeanor had been gradual, but it was still there – short, terse answers to innocent questions. Gruff acknowledgments when she passed through the hall instead of the usual warm greetings. Harsher criticisms in the training yard. And whenever Dorian would ask her about it, it was as though someone flipped a switch. She would brighten, touch his arm, and say, “No, nothing's wrong. But thank you for checking.” Then she would just walk away.

He thought maybe the Inquisitor had gotten some bad news, but Josephine had assured the mage that nothing out of the ordinary had passed across her desk. Leliana, too, said that nothing unusual had been attached to any of her ravens. So, Dorian started asking other people in the Inner Circle, as discreetly as Dorian could, anyway. Not even Solas knew what was troubling the Inquisitor but somehow that didn't surprise Dorian. Their relationship was still new and Dorian had a feeling that Solas was a little out of his element. Still, for all of his attempts at discretion, word somehow got back to the Inquisitor that he was asking about her sour mood so close to the holidays.

He was sitting in the library, reading one of the dozens of tomes he'd been able to acquire to try and figure out who Corypheus _really_ was when Ellana Lavellan marched in front of him. He glanced up from the pages and noticed she seemed rather perturbed – her face was flushed, her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was standing with one hip thrust in his direction, tapping her foot angrily.

“You could have just asked me,” she snarled.

Dorian calmly returned to reading. “I have, actually. On more than one occasion, if you'll recall. And each time you told me that nothing was wrong.”

Ellana didn't say anything – he was right and she knew it but she was still angry. “So, why did you feel the need to start asking everyone if they knew my own private business?”

Dorian set the book aside and steepled his fingers under his chin. “Because you, my dear Inquisitor, are one of my closest friends and your behavior has been... let's just say it's been rather untoward.”

“I don't want to talk about it, Dorian,” she tersely replied. Dorian frowned and watched his friend walk away. There was no mistaking the sadness in her voice and there was no way in oblivion he was going to just let this go. 

Over the next several days, the mood around Skyhold became more and more festive. Wintersend decorations were brought out, trees were put up and decorated, banners were hung, invitations to parties were sent, tournaments and plays were scheduled, and the Inquisitor just kept getting crankier and crankier. And Dorian had finally had enough.

He met Ellana one day as she was leaving the war room. He tossed her bag at her and said, “Let's go.”

“Wait, what? Go where?”

“Less talking, more walking,” Dorian said. “Master Dennett has the mounts ready to go.”

“Dorian, I can't just leave...”

She stopped short when Dorian spun around and pointed a finger at her. “You need to get away from here. And I am taking you. Now, come along.”

He turned back around and continued walking out of the keep, not giving Ellana a chance to argue with him. The Inquisitor looked at her advisers who each looked at her and shrugged. “I'll make sure your schedule is cleared,” Josephine said.

Ellana started grumbling under her breath about how Dorian wasn't in charge and Dorian shouldn't be giving the orders and that he didn't know what she had planned that might be ruined now because of this and how dare he just talk to her like that but he was her friend and yes, she had been rather grouchy lately and maybe getting away for a day or so would do her some good.

By the time she got to the stables, Dorian was already saddled up and waiting for her. “Let's go, my dear. The sun is setting.”

“Wait, it's just us?” Ellana asked.

“Are you implying my company isn't enough for you? I might actually be offended by that idea,” Dorian tutted, playing at his pride being wounded.

The Inquisitor chuckled and climbed onto her own horse. The pair rode in silence for a while, Dorian simply leading the way and the Inquisitor following. Usually it was the other way around, but Ellana took the opportunity to look around and admire the scenery. She did like the cold and snow in the mountains that Skyhold called home. She turned her face to the setting sun and inhaled. “Thank you, Dorian. You were probably right. I did need to get away from there.”

“Of course I was right,” he tutted. “When have I ever been wrong?”

Ellana simply raised an eyebrow at him and he quickly added, “Never mind. Do not answer that.”

As they rode, the landscape got darker. Ellana would have stopped miles ago to make camp, but this was Dorian's thing and she trusted him enough to follow his lead. Finally, the neared a cave. “Ah, here we are,” Dorian said. He dismounted and lead his horse inside the cave a bit, away from the cold and snow. Ellana followed suit, and then followed Dorian deeper in the cave.

She could see a fire had already been lit. She narrowed her eyes and squinted against the glare. As they got closer, she could see the cave had been decorated. It wasn't Wintersend decorations, though. What she was seeing were balloons and ribbons in green and black – her two favorite colors – and a huge sign that said, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”. There were gifts stacked neatly on the table

All of her anger and frustration that had built up over the past weeks simply melted away. In their place was a huge smile and tears of happiness. “Dorian... how.... how did you... when....?” Ellana slowly turned in a circle, her eyes wide with wonder.

Dorian sat and leaned back against the table, a smug smirk plastered on his face. “I had a friend in Tevinter who's birthday always fell during Funalis. Everyone either forgot it was his birthday or they tried celebrating it at the same time as the holiday. And he hated it. When he came of age, he would conveniently be out of town for any kind of festivities. He also never talked about his birthday – if you didn't know when it was, you just didn't know.”

The mage stood and poured two glasses of wine. He handed one to Ellana and said, “It really wasn't too hard to put two and two together. Well, the fact that Cole kept talking about candles and cakes helped a little, too,” he shrugged. “The only thing I wasn't quite sure of was whether or not to include the others.”

“And if he hadn't invited the rest of us,” Varric stated as he walked in, “my description of him in my next book would have been less than flattering.”

“Varric, it's impossible to write me in an unflattering manner. Haven't you figured that out by now?” Dorian chuckled and continued pouring drinks.

Ellana watched as the rest of her friends filtered into the cave. The last one in was Solas, who actually looked a little hurt. Or maybe perturbed. Ellana was still trying to figure out his facial expressions.

“ _Ma nehn_ ,” he murmured as he pulled her close. “You should have told me.”

Hurt. He was hurt. Ellana could hear it in his voice. “I'm sorry,” she said, looking at him. “Everyone was so wrapped up in the Wintersend preparations that my own birthday just seemed... well, like it wouldn't matter.”

Solas kissed the top of her forehead. “If there is something that's important to you, then it is important to me, as well. No matter how trivial you're afraid I'll believe it to be.”

“Oh, get a room,” Bull grumbled, shaking the snow off of his horns. “I heard there was cake! I brought just the ale to wash that down with!”

“Darling, ale doesn't pair well with cake. What we need is a sweet, white wine,” Vivienne corrected him, producing yet another bottle from the folds of her robes.

Ellana laughed as Josephine produced a cake from creators knew where. The Inquisition's ambassador said that Leliana and Cullen had stayed behind in case anything would happen. Ellana eyed Sera with a wary eye as the elf placed some candles on it Vivienne carefully lit the candles and everyone sang to her. She wasn't surprised when the candle's didn't extinguish when she blew on them the first time. Or the second time. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sera, who was giggling and clapping like a madwoman. Gifts were opened, more songs were sung, cards were played, and as everyone started to unroll their sleeping mats to turn in, Ellana cornered Dorian. “ _Ma serannas, ma falon_. You have no idea what this meant to me,” she said, hugging him fiercely

Instead of his usual sass, Dorian simply returned her embrace. “You're welcome,” he murmured. It was, by far, the best birthday she'd ever remembered having.


End file.
